ARTICHOKES

Description: A vegetable that has been eaten for ages, the artichoke is a relatively unknown vegetable that provides enormous benefits. Artichokes have many uses and can be eaten stuffed, raw, cooked and can even be made into an herbal tea. The edible part of an artichoke are the buds that form within the flower heads before the flower fully blooms. Artichokes typically range in size from as large as softballs to as small as a golf ball when they are commonly referred to as baby artichokes. .

Kitchen Pharmacy: Artichokes are believed to help digestion, improve hepatic and gall bladder function, and even raise the ratio of good to bad cholestorol. They are an excellent source of fiber and have shown to reduce the risk of heart disease as well as certain types of cancer.